The Alpha's Shatter Zone ✔️

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I challenge you to not cry during this chapter 😏

Song above is Tessa by Steve Jablonsky. It adds something beautiful while reading the words 😌

2836 words

The dark circles under her eyes rivaled the blackness of her shirt. The pure black material hung lifelessly over her thin body, and Chesca dragged a finger down the foggy mirror. Wiping away the condensation from the hot shower, she stared at her reflection.

The grim lines around her mouth couldn't be erased with a fake a smile, no matter how hard she tried. The limpness of her blonde strands draped over her shoulders, desperately needing some attention, but it still hurt to lift her arms to even brush it. The long claw marks on her back were slowly healing, but the hole in her chest was going to take a lot longer to heal than any physical wound. Leaning closer, she examined her eyes next. A swirling milky blackness ringed her usually green irises, as if even the guilt and grief that consumed her heart were bleeding into her eyes. The windows to her soul—a soul that seemed to have died along with sixty-six of her pack members two days ago.

The bedroom door opened quietly, and Chesca hurried over to let the doctor in.
Then Chesca crossed over to the bed while the doctor pulled a stethoscope from her coat pocket.

"Has he stirred?"

"No, not since the extra dose of sedatives last night, to help with the pain," Chesca answered, looking down with worry at her mate who lay motionless in her bed. She'd insisted that Kaiden be brought up to their room, and placed in her bed so she could keep watch over him around the clock. The medical clinic was overflowing with the many others injured during the battle with Elbert. And besides, Chesca didn't want to leave Kaiden's side, not after he saved her and the pack from the biggest enemy they'd ever faced.

He'd killed his own father to protect her, and although she'd thought it over a hundred times since, trying to think of some other path they could have taken, she had to admit that killing him was the only way to stop the conflict. Elbert could not be allowed to continue his reign of terror any longer.

The doctor peeled back the bandages that wrapped around Kaiden's entire chest and stomach, and examined the numerous red wounds. "They're improving. In a couple of days, he should be much better. His Alpha genes are responsible for saving his life. Ordinarily, this extent of injuries is fatal."

Chesca knew this, and whispered yet another prayer of thankfulness that her mate was still with her, critical though his state was. "Thank you, Doctor Sarah," Chesca noted the doctor's pursed lips but didn't push her for more information. They both knew how bad Kaiden really was, and how fortunate he was to even still be breathing.

"And how are you?" The auburn-haired young doctor turned to her Alpha.

Her breath hitched, but Chesca wordlessly lifted her shirt over her head and sat on the edge of the bed. Sarah examined her back for a few moments, then gave her a satisfactory smile. "Much better. You'll have a few scars remaining, but nothing to worry about." After packing up her things, the doctor exited the room quietly.

Nothing to worry about, indeed. Good thing the doctor couldn't see the state of her heart. She'd likely pronounce Chesca dead, and arrange for an autopsy. It wouldn't take a genius to determine what had killed her, one major cause being the tentative state of her mate's life as it still hung precariously on the edge of oblivion.

Chesca remained seated for a time, her eyes on the carpet and her thoughts miles away. If only she'd listened to the warnings, and confronted Elbert earlier. If only she'd trusted Kaiden much sooner, and worked together with him to sort out the problems. If only they'd mated soon after meeting, instead of pushing each other away with their stubbornness and alpha arrogance. If only...